Angularity adjusting means for feathering rotors and the like



J L. JOHN May 23, 1939.

ANGULARITY ADJUSTING MEANS FOR FEATHERING ROTORS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 5, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS J. L. JOHN May 23, 1939.

ANC'ULARITY ADJUSTING MEANS FOR FEATHERING ROTORS AND THE LIKE Filed NOV. 3, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE TOR dqg$ flfldohn a ATTORNEYS i 23, 1939- J. L. J HN 2,159,382

ANGULARITY ADJUSTING MEANS FOR FEATIIERING ROTOR$ AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 3, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet s I! ,6? 56 /a 4 if as INVENTOR damgfi udohn Patented May 23, 1939 PATENT oFFicE ANGULARITY ADJUSTING NIEAN S FOR FEATHERI NG ROTORS AND THE LIKE James L. John, South Colby, Wash.

Application November 3, 1937, Serial No. 172,617

3 Claims.

My present invention relates to the general art of feathering bladed propellers or rotors and more particularly to an angularity adjusting means for feathering rotors and the like.

In the past many feathering bladed rotors have been developed for use as current motors, as propellers, or as impellers for pumps. My present device has manyfeatures in common with that type of equipment. My invention, however, is characterized by an adjusting feature which 'makes its application more flexible, permitting the use of this principle for many purposes to which the conventional devices are not adaptable. While my devi'cemay be used as a propeller for boats or aircraft, as a pump, or as a current motor, I have shown it in the accompanying drawings as providing both the motive power and the plane, or wing, surface of an aeroplane for which use it is particularly well adapted.

My device may be arranged for connection to any suitable source of power, or if the device is used as a motor, any suitable power takeoff may be used. The outstanding characteristic of my present invention resides in the means employed for positioning each bank of feathering blades as a unit, parallel to a predetermined plane, and tomaintain the same in this parallel relationship throughout its entire revolution. I

My device is further provided with means for making it easily possible to adjust the angularity of my bank holders so as to conform to any desired plane even through the device may be in actual operation. It is this characteristic that lends itself so admirably to aeroplane construction. 1

, A further objectof my present invention is to provide means whereby one wing surface of an aeroplane for instance may be adjusted individually or a plurality of the same may be adjusted from a single control.

Other and more specific objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of an aeroplane made after the teachings of my present invention, certain parts being shown in section and others being broken away so that the essential elements may be as large as possible.

Figure 2 is a detail of the blade pivot employed in my device. 7

Figure 3 is atypical, cross-sectional view taken transversely through a wing section and showing the blades as they will appear in use, I

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view similar in part to Figure 4. but showing the blades in their working position.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing an aeroplane made after the teachings of my invention.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line l'l of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional View similar to Figure 7 but with the blade banks revolved 90.

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view showing two of my blade banks in cross-sectional elevation and showing in dashed line the successive positions'of said banks.

Figure 10 illustrates in top plan view a modified form of my wing structure in that the supporting blades are shown as longitudinally disposed as distinguished from Figures 1 and 6.

Figure 11 is a sectional view along the line Hll of Fi ure 10.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken along the line l2-I2 of Figure l0.

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional View taken along the line |3-l3 of Figure 10.

Figure 14 is a typical cross-sectional view through a plurality of my vaned wing structure showing the vane members in the position they would assume at various points in their revolution cycle,

Referring to the drawings, throughout which like reference characters indicate like parts, I0 designates the main or rotary driven shaft of my device. This shaft, which in the case of a propeller is the power shaft, may be connected to any suitable source of power as the motor I2 to which the motor is shown connected as by gearing I 4.

Fixedly secured to shaft ID are journal arms"; and I8. In the present showing I have indicated these arms as extending in opposite directions from shaft Ill having openings 16 and I8 therethrough forming journals at 2!] and 2| for the frames 23 and 24. It will be apparent it is believed that more than two banks could be operated from a single shaft but for clearness, in the present drawings, I have restricted them to two such banks.

Pivotally secured in the side members of frames 23 and 24, after the showing of Figures 2, 4, and 5, are a plurality of blades 26. In Figures 2, 4, and 5 I have illustrated the blades as being pivoted on antifriction bearings 21, although for many uses such bearings would be neither desirable nor necessary.

The downward movement of blade 26 is arrested by stop members 28 having rubber pads 29 thereon after the showing of Figure 4. The upward limit stop for the blades in their working position is formed by the adjacent blades, having rubber pads 35, after the showing of Figure 5 in which the blades are so spaced that the pivot axis of adjacent blades form the stop for the preceding blades. r

' In aeroplane use, to provide the turning movement for frames 23 and 24, so that the light side members of the same will not be subject to distortion, I provide that the adjusting shafts 32 and 33 shall extend entirely through bearings 20 and 2|, respectively, and thus support each end of frames 23 and 24 which are fixedly secured thereto. It should be clearly. understood that the shafts 32 and 33 in no sense are the driving means for blades 26. This driving effort is entirely supplied by shaft l0, leaving to shafts 32 and 33 merely the positioning of frames 23 and 24, respectively. Blades 26 are slotted at 34 so that the blades will overlap shafts 32 and 33.

The angular positioning of frames 23 and 2 4 is accomplished by providing chain sprockets at 35 and 36 which are secured to shafts 32 and 33, respectively, and which are operatively connected as by chains 38'and 39 to sprockets 4i and 42. These last named sprockets 4| and 42 are fixedly mounted upon a sleeve, or bushing, 44 which encircles shaft I0 and is provided with an adjusting and locking means in the worm and gear assembly shown at 56 and 47. This bushing, and the sprockets and 42 secured thereto, do not rotate with shaft IE but rotate only as adjusted by means of worm gears 46 and 4 1. It is believed it will be apparent from a study of Figures '1, 8, and 9 that as shaft I0 is rotated, carrying with it frames 23 and 24, chains 38 and 33 will wind up, o n'one side of their sprockets, a tooth for every tooth that is unwound from the other side of the sprocketsfall of the sprockets being of the same size. 'In this manner the parallel relationship," wherein frames 23 and 24 will always be parallel to each other, can by adjustment be made to' be parallel with any predetermined plane. This predetermined plane is selected as one that will best serve the functioning of this device in its intended purpose and it is changed by rotating tube 44 with the two sprocket ll and 42 secured thereto. It'will naturally follow it is believed that if the entire device were at rest and sprockets 4i and 42 were turned, the action would be to take up on oneside of chains 38 and 39 and slack off on thebther side, thus changing the angularity of frames 23 and 24 with respect to the prede'termined plane but that the two frames themselves would always remain parallel to each other.

As a convenient means of effecting this adjustment I have provided hand wheels at 50 and 51 to operate worm and gear assemblies 45 and 41, respectively. Now, it may occur that it is desirable to operate the two wing sections as 52 and 53 simultaneously. This can be accomplished by providing a third hand wheel as 55 which when pressed down as viewed in Figure 1 will engage the third gearing arrangement 55 in a manner to simultaneously operate both sets of worm gearing 46 and 41. This movement of hand wheel 55 is effected against the pressure, of spring 51 and requires a latch member as 58. to hold the hand wheel. 55 in mesh with the gears 55. 'Ihe functioning of my wing sections 52 and 53 will be understood, it is believed, from a study of the various views, particularly Figure 3. in which, following the rotation indicated by the arrows, frame member 23lis in a, Working position with blades 26 arranged as in Figure 5. Frame 24 is coming up and is in the feathering position as shown in Figure 4.

InFigures 10, 11, 12, 13. andv 14 I have shown details of a modified type of wing or impeller blade structure. The same general supporting members are used which is shaft I0, arms I 6 and I 8, and similar frames 23 and '24. Further the same propelling, adjusting, and positioning means is shown involving chains 38 and 39 and the respective sprockets. Distinguishing feature is that blades 26a are disposed longitudinally of frames 23 and 24 instead of transversely as in Figure 1. As in the previous case rubber faced bumpers as BI and 62 are provided to engage blades 25a when they are in their working position and, further, I have provided a limiting rest member 64 arranged to prevent undue displacement of blades 26 after the showing of Figures 13 and 14 and to hold them in such a position that, as they are driven around in the direction 7 of the arrows indicated in Figure 14, they will be held by'rest 64'so'as to present an angularly disposed'working face that will assist in the forward propulsion of the plane, the remainder of the parts employed in this structure are similar to that employed in the structure of Figure 1. And the general functioning of the entire arrangement is very similar to that shown in Figure 1, excepting that in the new showing the extra rest 64 provides means wherebythe normal dead cycle of the blades can be utilized for forward propulsion of the plane carrying this form of'wing.

The foregoing description and the accompanying drawings are believedto clearly disclose a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood that this disclosure is merely. illustrative and that such changes in the invention may be made as are fairly within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

I claim:

l. The combination with a rotary driven shaft having fixed journal arms, an adjusting shaft journaled in said arms, and a frame fixed to revol'v'e about the driven shaft, of a series of blades pivoted in said frame, stops rigidly mounted on the frame in the path of movement of the blades to' limit one movement thereof and adjoining blades having overlapping arrangement to limit movement in the other direction, and means actuated by the driven shaft for rotating the adjusting shaft.

2. The combination with a rotary driven shaft having spaced, fixed journal arms, an adjusting sha'ftjournaled in said arms, and a frame fixed to revolve about the driven shaft; of a series of notched blades extending transversely of, and above, the adjusting shaft and journaled at their ends in the frame, means for limiting the pivotal movement of the blades, and means actuated by the driven shaft for operating the adjusting shaft. 3. The combination with a rotary driven shaft having spaced journal arms fixed to rotate therewith, an adjusting shaft journaled in said arms, a rectangular frame fixed to revolve about the driven shaft, and means actuated by the driven shaft for rotating the adjusting shaft, of a series of blades pivotally supported in the frame having a series of alined notches to straddle the adjusting shaft, stops on the frame provided with resilient contact faces for limiting pivotal movement of the blades. in one direction, and adjoiningblades being arranged in overlapping relation to limit pivotal movement in. the opposite direction, and the overlapping faces of said adjoining blades having resilient inserts forming cushions.

JAMES L. JOHN. 

